Free E-'Da Vinci Code' offered until March 24

AP , Associated Press

Mar. 18, 20131:08 PM ET

NEW YORK (AP) — Ten years and tens of millions of copies later, "The Da Vinci Code" is on the house.

Doubleday announced Monday that a free e-book edition of Dan Brown's blockbuster novel will be available at online retailers through March 24. The e-book will include the prologue and first chapter of Brown's next novel, "Inferno," coming out in May. "The Da Vinci Code" was published March 18, 2003. It has since sold more than 80 million copies worldwide.

Doubleday also announced that Brown will make a single promotional appearance in the U.S. for "Inferno." He will speak at Avery Fisher Hall in Manhattan's Lincoln Center on May 15, the day after his new book is released. A livestream of his appearance will be shown at libraries and bookstores around the country.